University of South Alabama Creates Ombuds Program

The public university in Mobile has named Jeanne Maes to be its first Faculty Ombudsperson. “The creation of a campus ombudsperson is something the faculty senate has been working toward for some time, and we are happy to see the work that we and the administration have put into doing it right come to fruition,” said Faculty Senate President Dr. Doug Marshall. Maes will not handle any matters involving the university's students or staff.


Maes is a professor in USA's Mitchell College of Business. Her areas of professional expertise include organizational communication, negotiation, team-building, organization development and alternative dispute resolution -- encompassing conflict prevention, intervention and resolution. A mediator and arbitrator, Maes has served as volunteer mediator in Baldwin County District Court for three years. Additionally, she has worked for many years in both the public and private sectors with multi-party disputes. Maes graduated from the State University of New York, and earned an MBA from USA and a PhD from the University of Southern Mississippi. (USA Press Release.)